This legislation was introduced for Camden County who has an interest in creating a spaceport; however, the bill applies statewide by allowing the commercial space industry to operate in Georgia. More information on the Spaceport Camden project can be found here.

This legislation changes the current amount for juvenile court judgeship grants-to-counties funding. The grant increases from $85,000 to $100,000 per circuit, with an additional funding for circuits with four or more superior court judgeships, the grant will include $25,000 per superior court judgeship over four. For example a circuit with nine superior court judgeships would receive $225,000 per year for that circuit.

This legislation allows the election superintendent to authorize voters to vote in any precinct in the county. The election superintendent must ensure that there are safeguards to protect against voters voting in more than once, there are enough ballots of each style available at each precinct to accommodate voters using a different precinct, there is sufficient DRE voting equipment at each precinct, and there are sufficient poll workers available at each precinct.

This preemption legislation establishes additional requirements on individuals (other than ex officio or nonvoting members) appointed to county or city boards, commissions or authorities that establish policy, spend public funds, levy taxes or impose or collect fees or charges. In order to be eligible for such an appointment, the individual must be a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident or an alien having lawful status in the U.S. The individual must also be a legal resident of Georgia, unless he or she resides in another state but owns an interest in business in Georgia or is employed in Georgia. These qualifications do not apply to active duty members of the armed forces or an immediate family member of an active duty member of the armed forces. The body making the appointment (i.e., the board of commissioners) is responsible for determining whether an individual meets these qualifications.

This legislation allows the election superintendent to correct mistakes or omissions in the printing of official ballots or the programming of the display of the official ballot on the DRE voting equipment for local government candidates. Currently, said correction must be required by the superior court following an application by an elector.

This legislation changes the income tax credit for rehabilitation of historic structures. As amended in the Senate, this bill would increase the maximum the tax credit to $40 million in any year for a certified historic structure. The bill would prohibit the sale or transfer to other parties.

This legislation authorizes licensed distillers to obtain a retail package liquor store license and sale up to 10 percent of the total liquor it produces each year, or 1,000 barrels, whichever is greater, directly to the public from the distillery. Excise taxes will be collected and paid by the distiller. It also authorizes distilleries to have a food service establishment on the premises.

This bill is a companion bill to HB 61. For sales tax purposes, the definition of "dealer" is amended to add two categories of retailers: 1) any retailer that obtains gross revenues of over $250,000 in a year from sales of tangible personal property (whether delivered physically or electronically) in Georgia, and 2) any retailer that conducts 200 or more such sales in a calendar year. The bill would authorize the Department of Revenue to bring court action to determine whether a company is a "dealer" as defined above, and would also authorize direct appeals of trial court decisions on that issue.

This legislation requires health insurance providers to pay 4% to 5% of premium to the agents who sell the insurance for smaller employers -- those employing less than 50 individuals. This may affect smaller counties in thier role as employers if those premiums exceed the current agent compensation structure and if those costs are passed along to counties (and employees) in the form of higher premiums.

This is clean up legislation for HB 1004 from the 2016 legislative session. All maps, plats, plans and condominium plans must now be submitted electronically to the clerk of superior court. The remainder of the bill was worked out over the interim between counties, cities, surveyors, engineers, architects and the clerks, specifying the format for the submittal of plats and plans, required data for plats, which plats must be certified by land surveyors, and other certification required for plats. Attempts to add language stating that maps not creating new roads or utilities do not need local approval prior to submittal to the clerk were unsuccessful.

This legislation allows law enforcement to use high speed cameras to capture images of license plates. However, the data captured from the images may not be used for anything other than law enforcement purposes. The data must be destroyed no later than 30 months after it is collected unless the data is needed for law enforcement purposes. The collected data is exempt from the open records law.

This legislation expands the notification requirements when personal information (i.e., name plus social security number, driver's license number, state identification card number, account number, credit card number, debit card number, account password, personal identification number, or access code) is released to unauthorized persons. Under current law, counties must notify individuals if the security of the system containing the information is breached. Now they must also do so if the information is released to an unauthorized person intentionally, inadvertently or accidentally.

This legislation makes it a misdemeanor for members of the board of commissioners, city council, school board or local board or authority to knowingly and intentionally vote, attempt to influence a vote, or be present in executive or closed session when their respective body is considering or discussion the acquisition of property if the member has direct or indirect ownership interest in the property, or any business in which the member serves in a fiduciary capacity has an ownership interest in the property.

This legislation amends the requirements for nominating a candidate by petition. Current law requires the petition to be signed by 1 percent of total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election. This bill requires the petition to be signed by at least 2 percent of the total number of votes cast in the last election.

This legislation preempts counties and cities from adopting or enforcing ordinances that directly or indirectly prohibit the sale, delivery or transfer of a dog or cat from a properly licensed retail pet store or from imposing restrictions in addition to the requirements of state law. Many attempts were made to add this preemptive language to other bills late in the session. All attempts failed.

This legislation requires fire departments to purchase insurance coverage on each firefighter to pay claims for cancer diagnosed after serving at least 12 consecutive months as a firefighter in the department if the cancer or treatment makes them unable to perform their firefighter duties.

This legislation enacts the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2017. It does away with Georgia's weapons license and allows anyone to carry a firearm unless they are prohibited by law from possessing a weapon or long gun.

This legislation, mirroring SB 79, legalizes gambling in Georgia. Two casino licenses will be granted. One license will be granted within a county having a population of at least 900,000, will be at least a $2 billion investment, located in a convention district and have a hotel with at least 1,000 rooms. The other license will be granted within a county with at least 450,000 people, be at least a $450 million investment, and located near a convention district. These casinos can be open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and will pay a 20-percent tax on gross receipts (70 percent of proceeds go to the HOPE Scholarship and 30 percent will go to a needs-based college scholarship.

This legislation seeks to specify that only current officers who were elected to their offices may be designated as "incumbents" on the ballot. Current officers who were appointed to fill a vacancy would not be considered an "incumbent" on the ballot.

Green background on status indicates a bill has been acted on the last recorded legislative day.